1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bottom end stop for a slide fastener. The bottom end stop for a slide fastener attached to bottom ends of the fastener stringers comprises a fitting piece on one side and a joining piece on the other. The fitting piece and the joining piece are engaged with each other vertically with respect to a fastener face, that is, in a front-rear surface direction by a snap method and then the fitting piece and joining piece are joined together in a lateral direction of the fastener, so that the fastener stringers can be fit and attached into the slider.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional type of bottom end stop for a slide fastener, in which a fastener stringer is fit laterally into the slider is disclosed in the specification of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,927. As shown in FIG. 18, a fitting piece 11xe2x80x2 and a joining piece 10xe2x80x2 attached to bottom ends of the right and left fastener stringers 1xe2x80x2 are formed of a pin 50xe2x80x2 having an expanding head portion provided at a front end thereof and a socket 51xe2x80x2 in which a protruding portion is formed on an inner face of a circular hole portion. After the pin 50xe2x80x2 and the socket 51xe2x80x2 are engaged with each other by a snap method, a blade 52xe2x80x2 formed on one fastener stringer 1xe2x80x2 is fit in between guide flanges of the slider 3xe2x80x2 provided on the other fastener stringer 1xe2x80x2 by rotating around the pin 50xe2x80x2 and the socket 51xe2x80x2.
In the bottom end stop for a slide fastener of a type in which one of fastener stringers 1xe2x80x2 is fit laterally into the slider 3xe2x80x2 provided on the other fastener stringer 1xe2x80x2 as described above, the pin 50xe2x80x2 for engaging the fitting piece 11xe2x80x2 with the joining piece 10xe2x80x2 is provided so as to protrude toward a surface of the fastener stringer 1xe2x80x2 and then engaged with the socket 51xe2x80x2. However, since the slider 3xe2x80x2 is provided on the fastener stringer 1xe2x80x2 of the pin side, each time an operation for engaging the pin 50xe2x80x2 with the socket 51xe2x80x2 is carried out, a hanging pull tab has to be raised upward of the fastener chain. Thus, the releasing operation is very troublesome and therefore, cannot be carried out quickly.
The present invention has been achieved in views of the above described problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a fitting piece having a female engaging portion is attached to one of right and left fastener stringers and a joining piece having a male engaging portion is attached to the other fastener stringer, while the female engaging portion and the male engaging portion are capable of engaging with/disengaging from each other in a vertical direction with respect to the fastener faces and rotating in a horizontal direction when they are engaged with each other. The slider is held by a holding portion provided on one of the male and female engaging portions to prevent the slider from dropping out, and the male engaging portion is engaged with the female engaging portion on an opposite surface to a surface in which a single pull tab provided on the slider exists, thereby preventing the pull tab provided on the slider from obstructing an engaging operation between the male engaging portion and the female engaging portion, so that the engaging/disengaging operation can be carried out easily and quickly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which a male engaging portion thereof is composed of a pair of leg portions which is circular in its outer shape and easily deformed elastically facing in a longitudinal direction of the fastener tape. A female engaging portion is formed to have locking portions to easily lock with the leg portions, provided on an inner face of a circular hole portion. Even if a lateral pulling force is applied to a fastener chain, particularly to the bottom end stop from the right and left directions, the engagement between the male engaging portion and the female engaging portion is never released.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which the male engaging portion comprises a thick portion around the periphery of a base portion thereof and a protrusion having expanding head portions provided at a tip thereof. The female engaging portion is provided with elastic pieces easily deformed elastically and capable of engaging with the protrusion formed on an inner face of the hole portion in which the protrusion can be inserted and is formed so that the thick portion comes adjacent to the inner peripheral surface of the hole portion. Even when a lateral pulling force is applied to a fastener chain, particularly to the bottom end stop from the right and left directions, the engagement is never released.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which the protrusion is provided with head portions expanding outward on opposing faces and the inner face of the hole portion is provided with the protruding portion which lie over each of the head portions when the fitting piece and joining piece are rotated in a direction that they are joined together. Even when a pushing-up force is applied to a fastener chain, particularly to the bottom end stop from the front or back surface thereof, the engagement is never released.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which the joining piece is provided with a convex portion protruded horizontally and a concave portion in which the convex portion can be fit when the fitting piece and joining piece are rotated in a direction that they are joined together. Even when a pushing-up force is applied to the bottom end stop from the front or back surface thereof, the engagement is never released.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which the concave portion comprises an inner surface on a base portion of a side in which the fitting piece and joining piece lie over each other, a vertical wall erected on this base portion and a horizontal plate extending from a tip of the vertical wall in parallel to the inner surface of the base portion. This restricts easily a position in which the convex portion is inserted into the concave portion and enables to specify an engagement position between the fitting piece and joining piece easily.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which when the fitting piece and joining piece are engaged with each other and rotated in a direction that they are joined together, the slider provided on the fastener stringer is moved slightly upward of the fastener chain, thereby starting operation of the slider can be carried out securely and easily.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottom end stop for a slide fastener in which the female engaging portion and male engaging portion are disposed outside of an end portion of the fastener tape, a rotation of the right and left fastener stringers is facilitated and the female engaging portion and male engaging portion are formed in a rigid structure.
To achieve the above described objects, according to the first aspect of the invention, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a fitting piece 11 is attached to a bottom end of one of right and left fastener stringers 1 of the slide fastener while a joining piece 10 is attached to the bottom end of the other, a female engaging portion 34 and a male engaging portion 20 are formed on the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10 respectively, such that they can be engaged with/disengaged from each other in a vertical direction with respect to faces of respective fastener tapes 2 and so that the female engaging portion 34 and the male engaging portion 20 are rotatable in a horizontal direction when they engage each other by a snap method, a protruded holding portion 13 is provided for preventing an escape of a slider 3 on the joining piece 10 or the fitting piece 11 on an opposing edge portion of the fastener stringer 1; the joining piece 10 or the fitting piece 11 in which the slider 3 is fit and held in the holding portion 13 thereof faces the fitting piece 11 or the joining piece 10 on an opposite surface to a surface in which a single pull tab 5 of the slider 3 exists, so that the male engaging portion 20 and the female engaging portion 34 can engage each other.
Preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the male engaging portion 20 provided on the joining piece 10 has leg portions 21 each having an outer face curved in an arc-shape and elastically deformable, and head portions 22 which are provided at a front ends of the leg portions 21 and expanding outward, the leg portions 21 being erected in a vertical direction with respect to the faces of fastener tapes 2 while facing in a longitudinal direction in form of a pair of projecting pieces, and the female engaging portion 34 provided on the fitting piece 11 has a circular hole portion 35 which is capable of inserting the leg portions 21 in a vertical direction with respect to the faces of the fastener tapes 2 so as to penetrate through the female engaging portion 34 and locking portions 36 which are protruded in the inner face of the hole portion 35 so that they are capable of locking with the head portions 22.
Further preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the male engaging portion 20 provided on the joining piece 10 has a thick portion 46 expanding around a periphery of a base portion thereof and head portions 45 provided at a front end thereof so that they expand outward, and a protrusion 44 erected vertically with respect to the faces of the fastener tapes 2 and the female engaging portion 34 provided on the fitting piece 11 has a circular hole portion 35 which is provided to penetrate through the female engaging portion 34 in a vertical direction with respect to the faces of the fastener tapes 2 and which is capable of inserting the protrusion 44, and elastic pieces 48 extending so as to project downward into the inner face of the hole portion 35 and which are capable of engaging the head portion 45, so that the thick portion 46 is capable of coming into contact with an inner face of the hole portion 35 when the head portions 45 engage with the elastic pieces 48.
Still preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the protrusion 44 provided on the male engaging portion 20 has the head portions 45 expanding to both sides so that they oppose each other and an inner face of the hole portion 35 provided in the female engaging portion 34 has protruding portions 47 which are provided so as to oppose each other and protrude inward and lies over the head portions 45 in a vertical direction with respect to the faces of the fastener tapes 2 when the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10 are rotated in a direction that they are joined together.
Preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein each of the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10 have convex portions 23, 37 expanding in a horizontal direction with respect to the faces of fastener tapes 2 and concave portions 27, 40 capable of inserting the convex portions 23, 37 when the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10 are rotated in a direction that they are joined together.
Further preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the concave portions 27, 40 comprise inner surfaces 18 of a base portions 17 on a side in which the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10 lie over each other, vertical walls 25, 38 erected on the base portions 17 in a vertical direction with respect to the faces of fastener tapes 2, and horizontal plates 26, 39 provided at each end of the vertical walls 25, 38 and extending in parallel to the inner surface 18 of the base portion 17, the horizontal plates 26, 39 restricting a path of insertion of the convex portions 23, 37 into the concave portions 27, 40 when the fitting piece 11 engages the joining piece 10, thereby specifying an engagement position in the horizontal direction of the fitting piece 11 and joining piece 10.
Still preferably, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein a notch portion 14 of which the edge is gently inclined inwardly and which is capable of inserting a guide post 6 of the slider 3 is provided at a top portion of an outer edge of the holding portion 13 formed on one of the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10, and an insertion concave groove 15 is provided on a side edge face of the holding portion 13 while a flat insertion portion 30 capable of fitting into the insertion concave groove 15 is provided on the other one of the fitting piece 11 and the joining piece 10, so that when the insertion portion 30 is fit into the insertion concave groove 15 of the holding portion 13, the slider 3 fit into and held by the holding portion 13 is capable of moving slightly upward.
Finally, there is provided a bottom end stop for a slide fastener, wherein the female engaging portion 34 and male engaging portion 20 disposed on the fitting piece 11 and joining piece 10 attached to bottom ends of the fastener tapes 2 of the right and left fastener stringers 1 are located outside of the bottom ends of the fastener tapes 2.